Theoretical Server Question-

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

So, I've been having a debate with a friend about what it takes to run servers for Minecraft. Obviously the hardware requirements aren't very high but the point of the contention is the required internet speed / bandwidth. Lets say I have a server powerful enough to run the server with the ability for like 200+ players. What type of internet connection would that require? 

[EliasNM]

For 200+ players the minimum upload should be 25MB I want to safe zone is 50MB.

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

For 200+ players the minimum upload should be 25MB I want to safe zone is 50MB.

Yeah, he's saying "you need a data center connection for that many players" and I'm like "I'm pretty sure my residential 100/100 would work."

[Wombo]

Yeah, he's saying "you need a data center connection for that many players" and I'm like "I'm pretty sure my residential 100/100 would work."

Would it work? sure. Would you have a reliable server? not at all.

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

Would it work? sure. Would you have a reliable server? not at all.

Why wouldn't it be reliable? My internet speed is very consistent, even during peak hours I see almost no deterioration of internet speeds.

[EliasNM]

Yeah, he's saying "you need a data center connection for that many players" and I'm like "I'm pretty sure my residential 100/100 would work."

Though ideally that is more correct but for a personal server where you can whitelist all 200 players (for example) then a residential works fine though it shouldn't run 24/7 if it does you are looking at a 6.5TB bandwidth per month on average based on a 25MB connection. All based on my calculations.

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

Though ideally that is more correct but for a personal server where you can whitelist all 200 players (for example) then a residential works fine though it shouldn't run 24/7 if it does you are looking at a 6.5TB bandwidth per month on average based on a 25MB connection. All based on my calculations.

I don't have any bandwidth caps on my internet, so would that still be an issue?

[CyberneticTitan]

You better have high bandwidth caps or none at all for a 200 player server.

 

https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/realistic-bandwidth-usage.280/

 

"Last 30 days.

Player cap currently at 275. Online at the moment 263. Average off-peak/on-peak combined I would say 175-200.

Upload 1248.59 GB"

 

Using this as a basis, the average player would require 6.5GB of your upload per month.

 

Having low ping is also important.

[EliasNM]

I don't have any bandwidth caps on my internet, so would that still be an issue?

My honest opinion is don't do it, all I see you consider at this point is hardware and internet connections, you are missing other costs sure it will work but if your ISP does say a maintenance break in your zone then you are no longer a reliable host, something data centers can handle way better than you. 

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

 

You better have high bandwidth caps or none at all for a 200 player server.

 

https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/realistic-bandwidth-usage.280/

 

"Last 30 days.

Player cap currently at 275. Online at the moment 263. Average off-peak/on-peak combined I would say 175-200.

Upload 1248.59 GB"

 

Having low ping is also important.

 

Yeah, my ping is typically like 8-15.

[EliasNM]

Yeah, my ping is typically like 8-15.

Not yours the incoming players, apart from you needing an optimal location, most data centers are in the middle of a country for "fair" connection, which have more data centers to ping off incoming players which you couldn't possibly do with just one person.

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

My honest opinion is don't do it, all I see you consider at this point is hardware and internet connections, you are missing other costs sure it will work but if your ISP does say a maintenance break in your zone then you are no longer a reliable host, something data centers can handle way better than you. 

I'm not planning on actually running a server, I was just theorizing. However a bit of research shows that I'd be more than capable of doing so if I wanted.

[EliasNM]

I'm not planning on actually running a server, I was just theorizing. However a bit of research shows that I'd be more than capable of doing so if I wanted.

In a perfect world it would work just fine, on a world like this one, it doesn't work, imagine a DDOS attack, you are incapable of handling that apart from what your ISP will say.

[Wombo]

Why wouldn't it be reliable? My internet speed is very consistent, even during peak hours I see almost no deterioration of internet speeds.

Residential connections are notoriously unreliable and while you might not notice a small hiccup, other people connecting to you will. Also you have to think about your router as it is having to check every packet and handle every single port-forward and NAT request. Even if the router is ASIC based, ASIC's can't handle those kinds of packet re-writes.

 

Also on the note of reliability, geo-redundancy, multiple ISP's... These are things hosted services provide that your house typically can't.